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About This Quiz
It's a Southern thing ... a New England thing ... a California thing! Do you know your American figures of speech? Whether you're native-born or a well-traveled visitor to the States, you'll find something to challenge you in our quiz!
If someone agrees with you by saying, "Ayuh," where are you?
Portland or Seattle
the Lousiana bayou
rural New England
"Ayuh" is the classic expression of the New England countryside. Even though outsiders can learn to imitate it with some practice, don't use it in conversation unless you're a local.
Southern California
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Is it correct to call a single person "y'all"?
yes
no
"Y'all" is short for "you all," and is plural. If your accent doesn't already mark you as a Yankee, calling a single person "y'all" will get it done.
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If you get a drink of water at the "bubbler," where are you?
Florida
Hawaii
the South
the Midwest
What most of the rest of the nation calls a "water fountain," Midwesterners call a "bubbler." Sounds like it should dispense Perrier!
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In New England, you're not just smart, you're "______ smart."
ever so
novel
royal
wicked
"Wicked" is an adverb that intensifies the adjective that follows. "Jared's pit bull is wicked strong!"
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In the South, if you intend to do something, you are ______ to do it.
angulating
fixing
Commonly pronounced "fixin' to," this means you're intent on getting something done. It doesn't have to be a hard task -- maybe you're just fixin' to go into town and have a beer.
running up
sighting
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Is it a good thing when a Southerner says, "Bless your heart"?
of course -- it's a blessing!
uh, no, not really
"Bless your heart" is a euphemism for "oh, you're no so bright, poor thing," or "oh, you've messed up again." Look for kindly aunts and grandmas to use this one a lot.
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Where did the adverb "hella" originate?
California
This one came out of surfer and skater culture in northern California. There isn't much specifically Californian slang in this quiz, because it spreads so quickly to the rest of the country that it's not recognized as Californian. This is thanks to Hollywood, the music industry, and high-volume migration in and out of the state.
Florida
Seattle
Alaska
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If you're asked to take off your "rubbah slippah" when you come in the house, where are you?
Hawaii
"Rubbah slippah" are what the contiguous 48 usually calls "flip-flops," and yes, the singular term stands for both shoes.
the Gulf Coast
Northern California
Southern California
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In New England, which of these expressions describes the worst degree of being lost?
turned around
turned around some
some turned around
We have to credit the charming little book "How to Talk Yankee" by Gerald E. Lewis and Tim Sample for this one. If you're a little lost, you got "turned around," moderately lost is "turned around some" ... but "some turned around" is REALLY lost.
there really is no difference
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What state gave the world "Valley Girl" slang in the 1980s?
Arizona
California
All states have valleys, but California has the San Fernando Valley, near Los Angeles, where the mall-loving "Valley Girl" came from. Nowadays, we'd call her a "basic" girl, and she's not confined to one geographic region any more.
Florida
Massachusetts
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In the South, if you misbehave a lot, you are a _______.
caution
A mildly disapproving older relative might say, "Boy, you *are* a caution." Less regional synonyms would be "handful" or "pistol."
gray dog
mule
twisty road
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Where do people frequently end sentences with "eh?"
Alaska
California
the Southwest
the upper Midwest
Minnesotans and Wisconsites are prone to ending statements with this handy all-purpose word, especially in the rural northern parts of the state. It's a habit that seems to have drifted south from Canada, eh?
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If you're in New Orleans and you get a "lagniappe," what have you gotten?
the evil eye
a little something extra
"Mr. Thibodeau offered me the job, and a dedicated parking space as a lagniappe. He must really need an assistant manager."
a ride somewhere
a social disease
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If "the devil is beating his wife," what is happening?
it's raining and the sun is shining at the same time
"The devil is beating his wife" is a term for a "sunshower" in parts of the South. Many parts of the U.S. have no specific phrase for this rare phenomenon.
the crops are coming in early
a politician is telling the truth
this is a theological debate I'd rather not get into
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What does "if the creek don't rise" mean?
if all goes well
This is another Southern idiom. Sometimes lengthened to "God willing and the creek don't rise ..." it means that if things go well, or according to plan.
if (a person) stays single
if (a person) doesn't get a pay raise
if a woman doesn't conceive
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The Southern phrase "as all get out" is a/an ....
euphemism
insult
command
superlative
This is like adding "as can be" to a description. If you're handsome, that's nice ... but if you're "handsome as all get out," parents should lock up their daughters!
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In what state do they "talk story" instead of chat?
Alaska
Hawaii
"Talking story" is equivalent to "shooting the breeze" or, sometimes, gossiping. It comes from Hawaiian creole.
the Dakotas
Texas
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An arrogant person is "too big for his _____."
bathtub
britches
"Britches" is an American corruption of the English word "breeches," meaning riding leggings or pants. Though breeches were only for men -- since women wore dresses and skirts back in the day -- nowadays a woman too can be "too big for her britches."
church pulpit
casket
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If you're "getting above your raisings," what is happening?
you've overeaten
you've spent too much
you're forgetting your roots
A person who is "getting above their raisings" might be putting on airs, neglecting old friends, or generally living in a way that is inauthentic to who they really are. This expression comes from the South.
your heels are precariously high
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Where is leaving the state called "going outside"?
Alaska
For the rest of us, "going outside" means we're going to work in the yard or look at the stars. But in Alaska, it means you're travelling outside the state.
Kansas
Missouri
New York City
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If you've been invited to a "potlatch," what part of the US are you likely in?
California
the Gulf Coast
the Pacific Northwest
A "potlatch" is a get-together with food; the word is borrowed from the Chinook language. It resembles the word "potluck," but they don't seem to be etymologically related.
the Deep South
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Where do you "pass a good time" instead of have a good time?
Alaska
Arizona
Louisiana
Cajun English renders a few things differently, including the expression "pass a good time." Which they love to do: You'll see the French expression "Laissez le bon temps roulez!" a lot in southern Louisiana.
Virginia
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"Gnarly," meaning difficult or fearsome, came from what part of the US?
California
"Gnarly" is a surfer term for big, intimidating waves. The word has spread around the world, wherever there are beaches and good surfing.
the upper Midwest
New England
New York City and surroundings
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If you hear someone say, "Oh my heck!" what state are you likely in?
California
Florida
Massachusetts
Utah
This is a distinctly Mormon saying, in place of "Oh my God." So if you hear it, you're likely in Utah -- which, outside Salt Lake City, is about 75 percent LDS (Latter-day Saints).
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In the South, if you ask the waitress for a Coke, what are you asking for?
a Coca-Cola, of course
any kind of soda
In the South, any sugary carbonated drink is a "Coke." In many places, they're still likely to have "RC," or Royal Crown cola, instead of Coca-Cola.
extra-dark chocolate cake
an illegal drug
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In which state are you most likely to hear "Uff da!"
Maine
Maryland
Minnesota
"Uff da!" is a Swedish way of saying "Oh geez!" or "Good heavens!" Want to use the Norwegian variation? That'd be "Oj da!"
Missouri
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If someone has brought "hotdish" to your house, where are you?
New England
the upper Midwest
In a region that turns into an icy tundra for nearly half the year, hot food is essential. So much so that it's spawned the catchall word "hotdish."
southern California
Texas
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"Odelay," a greeting or expression of surprise, comes from which state?
Alaska
California
"Odelay" is Central Valley/Southern California slang. It comes from "Orale!" the Spanish word that can mean, "What's up?" or "Whoa, look at that!"
Maine
Washington
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If you've been invited to a fais-do-do, what are you going to?
a dance
"Fais-do-do" is a Cajun word for a dance party. You won't hear it much outside Louisiana.
a christening
a wedding
a town hall
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If you've got a lot of something, you've got more than "_____ got little white pills."
Carter's
In the 19th and early 20th century," Carter's little liver pills" were a patent medicine said to cure a variety of ailments. They were so common in stores, the phrase "more than Carter's got little white pills" sprung up to mean "a whole lot." Naturally, this expression is dying out thanks to several generations growing up without ever seeing the product on shelves.
Foster's
Goody's
Zeke's
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If you've been worked too hard, you've been "rode hard and put away ____."
early
hungry
late
wet
This comes from the time when saddle horses were used for transportation. It wasn't good practice to put your horse away "wet," meaning without rubbing them down and getting the sweat off them.
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If a Southerner or Midwesterner "lit out," what did she do?
got married
departed hastily
Example: "After graduation, Chester lit out for Dallas."
went on a spending spree
turned out all the lights
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What does the Hawaiian phrase "da kine" mean?
fine girl
how are you?
over there
nearly anything
Every dialect has at least one term that speakers will tell you is untranslatable. Then they immediately start trying at length to translate it. To understand "da kine," it's best to ask a Hawaiian, and be prepared for a lengthy answer.
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Where do young people say, "That's a harsh realm, lamestain"?
New York City
Northern California
Southern California
in a fake New York Times version of Seattle
A New York Times reporter famously fell for a ruse in which a source made up a fake "glossary" of Seattle grunge-scene terms. These included both "harsh realm" and "lamestain."
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If you are advised to "stay woke" where are you?
Los Angeles
Boston
Texas
the Internet
Sadly, the rise of the Internet seems to be signaling the death of regional idioms. Instead of speaking in a regional dialect, in the future we're all likely to speak a "sociolect," with idioms determined by our culture. Hackers, surfers, alt-righters, fanfiction readers ... all these have their own terms that are used around the world.
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